
<html>

<body>
<div style="margin-top:6pt;margin-left:69.66pt;width:456pt;">
        <div style="text-indent:20pt; margin-top:8pt; width:456pt; line-height:12pt;">
          <font style="letter-spacing:0.2pt;">Offers to purchase the securities offered by this prospectus may be solicited, and sales of the securities may be made, by us of those securities directly to institutional investors or others, who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any resales of the securities. The terms of any offer made in this manner will be included in the prospectus supplement relating to the offer. </font>
        </div>
        <div style="text-indent:20pt; margin-top:8pt; width:456pt; line-height:12pt;">
          <font style="letter-spacing:0.2pt;">If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize underwriters, dealers or agents to solicit offers by certain institutional investors to purchase securities from us pursuant to contracts providing for payment and delivery at a future date. Institutional investors with which these contracts may be made include, among others: </font>
        </div>
        <div style=" float:left; margin-left:20pt; line-height:12pt; margin-top:6.1pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left; width:10pt;white-space:nowrap;">
          <font style="letter-spacing:0.2pt;">•</font>
          <br>
        </div>
        <div style=" margin-top:6.1pt; margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:12pt; text-align:left; margin-left:30pt;">
          <!--blacklining:none;-->
          <font style="letter-spacing:0.2pt;">commercial and savings banks; </font>
        </div>
        <div style="clear:both; padding:0pt; margin:0pt;font-size:0pt;line-height:0pt;">​</div>
        <div style=" float:left; margin-left:20pt; line-height:12pt; margin-top:0.6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left; width:10pt;white-space:nowrap;">
          <font style="letter-spacing:0.2pt;">•</font>
          <br>
        </div>
        <div style=" margin-top:0.6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:12pt; text-align:left; margin-left:30pt;">
          <!--blacklining:none;-->
          <font style="letter-spacing:0.2pt;">insurance companies; </font>
        </div>
        <div style="clear:both; padding:0pt; margin:0pt;font-size:0pt;line-height:0pt;">​</div>
        <div style=" float:left; margin-left:20pt; line-height:12pt; margin-top:0.6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left; width:10pt;white-space:nowrap;">
          <font style="letter-spacing:0.2pt;">•</font>
          <br>
        </div>
        <div style=" margin-top:0.6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:12pt; text-align:left; margin-left:30pt;">
          <!--blacklining:none;-->
          <font style="letter-spacing:0.2pt;">pension funds; </font>
        </div>
        <div style="clear:both; padding:0pt; margin:0pt;font-size:0pt;line-height:0pt;">​</div>
        <div style=" float:left; margin-left:20pt; line-height:12pt; margin-top:0.6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left; width:10pt;white-space:nowrap;">
          <font style="letter-spacing:0.2pt;">•</font>
          <br>
        </div>
        <div style=" margin-top:0.6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:12pt; text-align:left; margin-left:30pt;">
          <!--blacklining:none;-->
          <font style="letter-spacing:0.2pt;">investment companies; and </font>
        </div>
        <div style="clear:both; padding:0pt; margin:0pt;font-size:0pt;line-height:0pt;">​</div>
        <div style=" float:left; margin-left:20pt; line-height:12pt; margin-top:0.6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left; width:10pt;white-space:nowrap;">
          <font style="letter-spacing:0.2pt;">•</font>
          <br>
        </div>
        <div style=" margin-top:0.6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:12pt; text-align:left; margin-left:30pt;">
          <!--blacklining:none;-->
          <font style="letter-spacing:0.2pt;">educational and charitable institutions. </font>
        </div>

      </div>
</body>
</html>